Review: Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt

Title: Sean Griswold's Head 
Author: Lindsey Leavitt
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pub. Date: 3.1.2011
Genre: Contemporary YA
Keywords: Romance, Family, Acceptance, Friendship
Pages: 288
Description (from Goodreads):

According to her guidance counselor, fifteen-year-old Payton Gritas needs a focus object-an item to concentrate her emotions on. It's supposed to be something inanimate, but Payton decides to use the thing she stares at during class: Sean Griswold's head. They've been linked since third grade (Griswold-Gritas-it's an alphabetical order thing), but she's never really known him.

The focus object is intended to help Payton deal with her father's newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis. And it's working. With the help of her boy-crazy best friend Jac, Payton starts stalking-er, focusing on-Sean Griswold . . . all of him! He's cute, he shares her Seinfeld obsession (nobody else gets it!) and he may have a secret or two of his own.

In this sweet story of first love, Lindsey Leavitt seamlessly balances heartfelt family moments, spot-on sarcastic humor, and a budding young romance.


SEAN GRISWOLD'S HEAD is my first Lindsey Leavitt novel, but it won't be my last.


This book is cute and funny. I'd heard lots of great things about it before deciding to pick it up, but was worried it'd be more middle grade than YA. Instead, I'd say it's more upper MG - it's definitely MG appropriate - and YA-friendly. 


When Payton chooses her classmate's head as a focus object, she isn't taking the assignment very seriously, but her journal entries about it are hilarious. It doesn't take Payton long to realize that there's more to Sean Griswold than a big head... and that that big head is actually kind of cute.


Eventually, Payton's father's MS becomes more apparent and she realizes she needs to face her fears and feelings about the situation... because sarcasm and anger isn't going to make it go away. Her focus object actually ends up being more help than she'd imagined - considering she basically chose Sean's head to be rebellious - and Payton realizes that it isn't always about fixing a situation, but rather how you react and respond to the problem.


Annnnnd this cover is adorable. I don't think it appeals to guys in any way, but it fits the book perfectly!


If you're looking for a relatively quick read that has humor and shares a worthwhile message, pick up this latest offering from Leavitt.

Review: Miles from Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams

Title: Miles from Ordinary
Author: Carol Lynch Williams
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pub. Date: 3.15.11
Genre: Contemporary YA
Keywords: Mental Illness, Single Parent, Grief, Hallucinations
Pages: 197
Description (from Goodreads):
Thirteen-year-old Lacey wakes to a beautiful summer morning excited to begin her new job at the library, just as her mother is supposed to start work at the grocery store. Lacey hopes that her mother's ghosts have finally been laid to rest; after all, she seems so much better these days, and they really do need the money. But as the hours tick by and memories come flooding back, a day full of hope spins terrifyingly out of control....


Carol Lynch Williams is quickly becoming one of my absolute favorite authors... Of her three published titles, I've read both GLIMPSE and MILES FROM ORDINARY and am completely in awe of both. 


I feel the need to point out how very different GLIMPSE and MILES FROM ORDINARY are. Both are powerful, relatively short reads, but GLIMPSE is written in free verse and MILES FROM ORDINARY is written in traditional novel format. Williams' mastery of both forms astound me... Neither story is more or less detailed or profound, the writing is fluid and each word seems chosen for a specific purpose. 


MILES FROM ORDINARY is narrated by 13-year old Lacey, which, under normal circumstances, might bother me. Luckily, a novel by Williams doesn't count as "normal circumstances." Williams has the ability to write a novel with a 13-year old main character in which the character genuinely acts like a 13-year old, but the novel still feels YA not MG. When I read the descriptions of Williams' books and see the young age of the narrators, I don't even pause. I know that the character's age will not slow the plot of soften the book's message; Williams is definitely a YA author.


This novel definitely has a sinister edge. Williams hints at the drama in Lacey and her mother's life, revealing more and more as the novel progresses, building until the truth descends like a torrential downpour and there's no holding back the darkness. 


I highly suggest you read MILES FROM ORDINARY and GLIMPSE... I'm left speechless each time I finish one of Williams' novels. The stories held within these covers are powerful and they need to be heard. I've also heard wonderful things about THE CHOSEN ONE, Williams' debut, and will be reading that as soon as possible. 

Review: Clarity by Kim Harrington

Title: Clarity
Author: Kim Harrington
Publisher: Scholastic/Point
Pub. Date: 3.1.2011
Genre: Paranormal YA
Keywords: Psychic Powers, Murder, Mystery, Family, Romance
Pages: 242
Description (from Goodreads):

When you can see things others can't, where do you look for the truth?

This paranormal murder mystery will have teens reading on the edge of their seats.

Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift.

And a curse.

When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case--but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother--who has supernatural gifts of his own--becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

CLARITY starts with a bang - literally. Kim Harrington doesn't waste any time with introductions, instead she starts at the end, with Clare in a sticky situation involving a gun and someone who's definitely not afraid to use it. From there, Harrington takes the reader back to the beginning, slowing things down and introducing a colorful cast of characters, but by the that point the reader is hooked and they uncover how Clare finds herself in this rather unfortunate situation.


I really liked the pacing of CLARITY. It clipped along at a fairly rapid pace, but I never felt like I was missing anything or like I was being pushed towards a conclusion. At less than 250 pages, Harrington successfully packs in romance, mystery, and action, which doesn't leave a lot of down time for Clare... or the reader. The only negative is that I didn't particularly want to devour this novel as quickly as I did... it makes the wait for book two seem even longer.


I thought the mystery element was well executed. It was fairly obvious that the main suspect wasn't the actual killer, but I took me quite some time to figure out who actually did the deed. I definitely knew who I didn't want the killer to be... 


Apparently boys aren't dissuaded by Clare's unique abilities because they're all over her. Each of them have something different to offer Clare in terms of personality, but they all seem to have one common trait: good looks. I know who I think Clare should choose - I love "smoldering detectives" - and I'm really hoping she'll see things my way in the next installment, PERCEPTION.


CLARITY is a action packed debut and has landed Harrington's upcoming novels, including the sequel, PERCEPTION, on my list of must reads. Don't miss this action packed first installment to what could easily shape up to be a new paranormal series favorite for many YA readers.

Cover of the Week (19)

Cover of the Week is a weekly feature at The Hiding Spot, in which I share a cover that gives me that swoony feeling.

Clarity by Kim Harrington
Scholastic Point/3.1.11
Description (from GoodReads):
Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch an object and the visions come to her. It's a gift.


And a curse.

When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case — but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother — who has supernatural gifts of his own — becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

Usually picking my Cover of the Week is difficult... there are just so many amazing ones to choose from... but this week, it was extremely easy. I knew CLARITY would be my next pick the moment it popped up on my computer screen! I am so in love with this cover. Seriously.

Plus, CLARITY is Harrington's debut and it sounds so, so good!

Waiting on Wednesday (35)

WoW is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach
Speak/3.31.2011
Description (from GoodReads):
A haunted castle, a handsome young man dead for four hundred years, one heck of a scary portrait of a witch, and a treasure hunt -- not to mention a princess for a roommate! -- all await 15 year old American girl Caitlyn Monahan when she earns a scholarship to a French boarding school.


There are secrets behind the stone walls of Chateau de la Fortune, buried for centuries along with the mystery of who killed Raphael, the charming ghost who visits Caitlyn at night. But as Caitlyn unearths the history of the castle, nothing scares her as badly as the secret she learns about herself, and the reason she was chosen to come to the Fortune School.

And nothing breaks her heart as badly as falling in love with a dead guy.

I think I was most drawn to this novel by the fact that she falls for a dead guy. Even though this plot is nothing like Meg Cabot's MEDIATOR series, I can't help but compare the romances... and find myself liking the similarity! The rest of the plot sounds interesting as well. I'm a fan of boarding school mystery type novels, so I'm definitely interested!

Cover of the Week (17)

Wither by Lauren DeStefano
Simon & Schuster/3.22.11
Description (from GoodReads):
What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant she trusts, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left.

I saw this cover and couldn't help but say WOW. Literally. It's different than anything I've seen lately... And I love that birdcage. I don't know if the bird has anything to do with the actual story, I mean, I hope it does, but I love it so much that I don't even really care. I also like the circles; they appear to be pointing out specific parts of the cover. It's intriguing...

And, seriously, read that description. I like!

Waiting on Wednesday (33)

WoW is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Greenwillow, 3.29.11

Description (from GoodReads):

Azalea and her younger sisters dance in the mysterious silver forest every night, escaping from the sadness of the palace and their father’s grief. What they don’t understand—although as time passes they begin to get an inkling of the danger they are in—is that the mysterious and dashing Keeper is tightening his snare with deadly purpose. Luckily, Azalea is brave and steadfast. Luckily, a handsome young army captain also has his eye on Azalea. . . . Lush, romantic, and compelling, this debut novel by Heather Dixon will thrill fans of Shannon Hale, Robin McKinley, and Edith Pattou.

"Lush, romantic, and compelling..." I'm already in love with this book! Being compared to Shannon Hale and Robin McKinley isn't too shabby either!

Waiting on Wednesday (32)

WoW is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

I have two WoW picks today! One doesn't come out until the end of 2011, but the description sounds amazingly intense! Plus the cover is gorgeous. The other has a slightly shorter wait, as it's slated for release in March 2011, but there is only a short description. It's the cover that really draws my attention! HarperTeen outdid themselves with these two!

*EDIT: RIVAL's US release is actually Feb. 2011! Hurrah!*

Rival by Sara Bennett-Wealer

HarperTeen/2.11
Description (from GoodReads):
Meet Brooke: Popular, powerful and hating every minute of it, she’s the “It” girl at Douglas High in Lake Champion, Minnesota. Her real ambition? Using her operatic mezzo as a ticket back to NYC, where her family lived before her dad ran off with an up and coming male movie star.

Now meet Kathryn: An overachieving soprano with an underachieving savings account, she’s been a social leper ever since Brooke punched her at a party junior year. For Kath, music is the key to a much-needed college scholarship.
The stage is set for a high-stakes duet between the two seniors as they prepare for the prestigious Blackmore competition. Brooke and Kathryn work toward the Blackmore with eyes not just on first prize but on one another, each still stinging from a past that started with friendship and ended in betrayal. As competition day nears, Brooke dreams of escaping the in-crowd for life as a professional singer, but her scheming BFF Chloe has other plans. And when Kathryn gets an unlikely invitation to Homecoming, she suspects Brooke of trying to sabotage her with one last public humiliation.
As pressures mount, Brooke starts to sense that the person she hates most might just be the best friend she ever had. But Kathryn has a decision to make. Can she forgive? Or are some rivalries for life?

Steel by Carrie Vaughn
HarperTeen/3.15.11
Description (from GoodReads):
When Jill, a competitive high school fencer, goes with her family on vacation to the Bahamas, she is magically transported to an early eighteenth century pirate ship in the middle of the ocean.

Waiting on Wednesday (28)

WoW is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

Title: Falling Under

Author: Gwen Hayes

Publisher: NAL/Penguin

Release Date: March 2011

Description (from GoodReads):

In her dreams he’s irresistible—seductive, charming, and undoubtedly dangerous. But when he appears to her when she’s awake—and captivates her just the same—she’s not sure which way is up and which is down.

Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life, not allowed the same freedoms as the rest of the teenagers in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, she feels every urge she’s ever denied burning through her at the slightest glance from Haden Black. Theia knows she’s seen Haden before—not around town, but in her dreams.

Theia doesn’t understand how she dreamed of Haden before they ever met, but every night has them joined in a haunting world of eerie fantasy. And as the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her forward one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear. And as she slowly discovers what Haden truly is, Theia’s not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.

March 2011?! How am I going to wait that long for this novel? I considered holding off on featuring it for WoW, but in the end, I just couldn't. Every time I see it I want it even more! The cover is gorgeous and the description sounds AMAZING. It's a love story... and I can never resist a love story. I need this book... March 2011 can't come soon enough!